welcome back to The Bark List, a weekly feature rounding up a bunch of music from Connecticut songwriters and artists! aight let’s skip the chit chat because we got 30 new tracks and videos here to talk about, all pulled from the land of steady habits. 30! let’s go! check out this week’s songs below, and as always, if you like what you hear: share it with a friend! and if you have the means, consider buying their music. spotify is nice and all, but unless you plan on streaming a song multiple hundred times, bandcamp is best. you can follow us on instagram and twitter for more music during the week.
alex burnet – “you’re okay”
Burnet, who you may know for New Haven’s Laundry Day and The Proud Flesh, cooked up this three-song EP as soon as social-distancing measures took place. It’s a tiny EP, but a beautiful one in its warmth and intimacy. The songs here are direct and loving. Go ahead, listen to (my favorite track) “You’re Okay”. If you listen closely in the introduction, you’ll hear the beep of a fire alarm that needs its batteries replaced. It’s a fleeting moment, but it tears down some of the artificial walls created by headphones/stereo. You feel there in that room with Burnet as he sings these songs.
green light – “enough”
written and recorded remotely, this trio’s new song is a moody and somber track. even at a distance, the band’s separate members communicate flawlessly, with each sound perfectly complementing the next. my favorite moment? the introduction of the chorus where a soft wash of distortion (or is it synth?) waves into the mix.
chambermuzk – “so we carry on” mix
for those of you stuck and home — especially those of you that work — this is your life preserve. Chambermuzk’s new mix of songs is the perfect 40-minute slice of peace you need right now. Fusing tracks both new and old, her pacing, transitions, and taste have never been better. Turn this one on and find yourself in a better place.
was and when – “hang in the balance”
We premiered Was and When’s (Michael Held from Snowpiler, Ghost Chant, and Lighthouse) debut single “Hang in the Balance” last week! You can read our write-up here!
evelyn gray – “faith”
Modern Ghouls Records put together an excellent compilation in this time of covid crisis. How do I know it’s excellent? Because the second track is a new song by Evelyn Gray! For those of you that caught her excellent Let The Flower Grow, you’ll find that “Faith” has some surprises in store for you. The compilation also features artists like Kate Wakefield (from the incredible Lung) and Byrne Bridges! All proceeds go to Lysistrata Mutual Care Collective’s emergency fund for sex workers
kierstin sieser – “in the reading”
Kierstin Sieser from Tiny Ocean has a new record coming out! We wrote about it here, and you can pre-order Shark Tooth Moon right now on bandcamp!
ashley hamel – “keluarga” music video
Connecticut misses Ashley Hamel, whose return back to the Constitution State was thwarted by a global pandemic. “Keluarga” is a song about family, and about how the concept of family is created more by emotional lines than any physical or proximal ones. And if you can’t get behind that message right now, please fuck off, lol. This might be one of my very favorite songs Hamel has ever written.
the moon shells – “ready” music video
You might know Brian Slattery as one of the editorial voices of the New Haven Independent, or as the multi-instrumentalist who plays a few different things in Dr. Caterwaul’s Cadre of Clairvoyant Claptraps, but he’s also the voice behind The Moon Shells! Their new song, “Ready”, features so many faces — all recorded in socially-distanced safe spots — that you’re guaranteed to recognize a face or two.
slyne and the family stoned – “sick and losing control”
I don’t quite know how to classify or category Slyne and the Family Stoned. someone once referred to them as “kinda like Godspeed You! Black Emperor but Americana”. It’s not a perfect description, but there’s some truth to it. One of my favorite things about The Family Stoned is how comfortable they all seem with their songs. They’re not rushed, nor are they afraid to take let the quiet moments speak for themselves. Their new album Distraction Songs features a lot of that musical distance, and every time I have this record on, all I want to do is close myself in a room and listen intently.
laura wolf – “when we go outside”
This week, Laura Wolf added two new tracks to her growing Quarantine Demos collection. This track, “When We Go Outside”, was written/recorded/mixed all by Wolf and features a magical harmonium by Ben Seretan. Wolf described it as magical, so I cannot speak to any supernatural properties of that instrument. As for the supernatural properties of the song? I can attest that it is fantastic (not the first definition in the dictionary, but the second one, but it is also the first one too, but I’m particularly talking about the second definition for that joke to work).
summer camp crush – “sleepover” lyric video
A few months ago, Summer Camp Crush (members of Stampeter and Cinema Stare) released a very, very good demo. While we wait for the “official” debut of the band this summer, check out this inventive lyric video for “Sleepover”!
ino – “come see me” music video
We got a taste of INO’s new song “Come See Me” last week, and now they have an official music video for it! The video is just as dreamy and relaxing as the song itself. Trip-hop with analog synths? Count me in.
psychic of orange – “bouncer” music video
New music from Psychic of Orange comes quick and it comes sudden. The newest song, “Bouncer”, was announced on twitter and it was nearly immediately followed-up with this cameo-crazy video. You may not be allowed to hang out at a club right now, but that’s ok: this song will give you all the permission you need to bounce.
matt falkowski – “sex, death, and other comparable headaches”
Look at that picture of Matt in the thumbnail! They look so happy. And I would be happy too if I wrote a song as good as “Sex, Death, and Other Comparable Headaches” [editor’s note, I added the commas here, so it could very well be a song about “sex death” and not “sex” and “death”. There is a huge difference here, legally. The song is, I think, Matt’s first “Matt Falkowski” song since “Heartache”, and I love the electric guitar here, emulating the riff from Jackson’s “Bad”. This track features Rex Thurstan (Matt’s songwriting twin in Eel People) on drums, and if you like this track (why wouldn’t you?), I have a suspicion Falkowski might be working on something big…
shame penguin – “live in technicolor”
Check out Shame Penguin’s debut single! You’ve no doubt seen them play live — or at least I hope you have — and now you can listen to them in your covid bunkers. The band describe the song as: “This is a song calling everyone to stand up and unite now more then ever.” It was recorded by Vic Steffens at Horizon Studios.
the last years – “moments”
Talk about a great name for a band: The Last Years perfectly encapsulates the band’s sound. It’s part nostalgic, part futuristic. This is the kind of synthpop you’d hear tease in either 1984 or in 2024. Their new song “Moments” comes ahead of their forthcoming debut album.
potential for a fall – “out of touch”
Potential For A Fall just released their new Spring Cleaning EP! We heard one of their tracks in a previous Bark List (“20/19 Vision”), so there are three new tracks you should catch up on. My favorite of those three is the EP’s closing song, “Out Of Touch”, which you can listen to below!
trace mountains – “me and may”
The new album by Trace Mountains, Lost In The Country, is almost here! Check out the third single from the record (following the title track and “Rock and Roll”), “Me & May”. This is looking like a gorgeous, gorgeous album, so check out their bandcamp and pre-order that vinyl. The band had plans to play MAC650 in Middletown in May, but those plans have (probably) been rescheduled. We’ll keep you in the loop.
the sawtelles – “perhaps”
The experimental pop/rock duo The Sawtelles are back with a new album! The album features exactly what you love about about The Sawtelles: clever melodies, unusual guitar tunings, and inventive song structures. My favorite (or at least one of my favorite) tracks on the album is “Perhaps”, in part because of the beautiful backing harmonies of the chorus. Take a listen!
the grade factor – “monsters”
The Brandford CT punk rock band are getting ready to debut their new album! You can check out their official single, “Monsters”, below with its explosive chorus.
sarah lemieux – “goodbye, paris”
Opening up a new Sarah LeMieux song is a bit like opening up a mysterious gift that was handed to you. Your mind races and wonders what it could be! LeMieux has operated within realms of folk, jazz, americana, and experimental sound collages, so it is no exaggeration that “Goodbye, Paris” could have been anything. Within the first seconds of the song, it is clear: “Goodbye, Paris” is the kind of beautiful jazz you only hear in your dreams.
anna may – “beside me”
While Anna May’s music might be minimal (“Beside Me” is just her voice and an acoustic guitar), the emotions are big. She uses the acoustic guitar like a divining rod, moving in and out of neighboring emotions and thoughts. Ideas coalesce as her voice — her narration — take the listen both in and out of the present, into memory, dreams, and waking life.
kosmic black – “crab genie”
The West Haven producer has a new album coming out! That album, Spectacular Beings will be out very soon, so in the meantime, check out this psychedelic and hypnotic single: “Crab Genie”.
sundots – “crazy”
I thought it would be too soon to ask Drew Collins for more new music, but he’s been hard at work crafting up songs in his lab, it seems! Sundots have a collection of songs debuting on a split record with The Carpet Store, as one of the first releases from Hibernation Circle, a collective that includes Waveform*, Melaina Kol, and more.
jeremy cooney – “american boy”
This playlist has, so far, been missing out on a lot of the folk sounds you might expect from the northeast! Don’t worry, ya boy Jeremy Cooney’s got you. His new song and music video “American Boy” are a love letter to the dreams of travelers everywhere. Cooney has more music on the way, so you’ll hear him again soon on another Bark List, so check this one out while you can!
maia dobbs – “i think i know someone”
“You know what’s fucking terrifying?” Could there be a better opening line to a song? Songwriter Maia Dobbs and Nick Charlton (of Queen Moo) pair together for this bluesy, mischievous song.
one foot in the grave – “master of sins”
Fire & Ice will be One Foot In The Grave’s debut record, but until then, you can check out their single “Master of Sins” for an idea of what to expect! It’s gothic, electronic, cool, and explosive (wait for the end!).
comr – “apollo”
The experimental collective, COMR, are back with a new… album? Project? I’m not quite sure what to make of it, which feels about right for COMR, whose discography is as expansive as its narrative lore. Technically “Apollo” is a song from the “ANT HILL KIDS”, and that’s about all I know of this song’s background. Maybe it’s the same folks behind COMR? Maybe it’s another group of people? Either way, this is a huge change in direction for COMR, and I’m 100% here for it.
merrill beach – “roller disco lion songs”
“Recorded while quarantined at home.” That’s the only information from Merrill Beach (Hayden Nork)’s bandcamp page about the new song “Roller Disco Lion Songs”. I would say more, or tell you what to expect, but I think I’ll let that description alone suffice for now… I don’t want to spoil the surprises. Check out the song below!
one time weekend – “deeper shade of blue”
Last year, One Time Weekend threw a massive album release show for Weekend at the Circus. The Hartford band performed the album from front-to-back, and if you weren’t there, the band have tracked and mixed the entire thing! It’s funky, jammy, and psychedelic — all of the things you would expect from One Time Weekend — and it’s bristling with live energy.
dagwood – “what” music video
Dagwood just released an excellent double single last week (covered on last week’s Bark List), and they’re not done. This week, they premiered a three-song music video, featuring “Right On Time”, “Hope And Despair” and “What”. These are not songs from the most recent double-single, but that’s totally find because “What” is probably my favorite Dagwood track of all time. Check out the music video below!
